black mark

noun
1.
an indication of failure or censure:
His chronic lateness is a black mark against him.
Origin
1835-45
British Dictionary definitions for black mark

black mark

noun
1.
an indication of disapproval, failure, etc
Contemporary definitions for black mark
noun

an indication on one's record of a grievous error, misdeed, or failure; demerit

Examples

Missing that meeting was a black mark against me.

Idioms and Phrases with black mark

black mark

An indication of censure or failure, as in If you refuse to work late, won't that be a black mark against you? This phrase alludes to a literal black mark, such as a cross, that was put next to a person's name, indicating that he or she had incurred a rebuke or penalty of some kind. [ Mid-1800s ]